“Mark devoted the past 30 years to affordable housing and has proven to be an effective leader, innovator and role model,” said Washington State Housing Finance Commission Executive Director Kim Herman. “He has developed and nurtured the careers of others, and passionately promoted collaborative training efforts that have benefited the lives of thousands.”

In fact, Flynn has served in nearly every capacity in the industry—from developer and owner, to a leader in government financing, monitoring, and preservation efforts.

Most recently, Flynn served as Seattle Program Center Director for the Northwest HUD field office where he was responsible for overseeing more than 1,000 properties with HUD financing or insurance in Washington and Alaska, and also approved new HUD multifamily developments and investment in both states.

Prior to his HUD assignment, he served two years as the executive director of Impact Capital, a LISC affiliate. Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is dedicated to helping community residents transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and sustainable communities. At Impact Capital, he oversaw pre-development and bridge loans for nonprofit multifamily development.

For almost a decade, Flynn served as Director of Compliance & Preservation for the Housing Finance Commission with oversight of Commission tax credit and bond-financed properties. While at the Commission, he implemented the nationally recognized state compliance training workshops in cooperation with the management industry and ensured all of his staff were certified trainers.

Flynn has served as a board member for the Affordable Housing Management Association; for Digital Promise, a group that puts computer centers in affordable housing properties; and, back in Kansas City, he worked for the FDIC/Resolution Trust Corporation saving troubled financial institutions and properties after the savings and loan disaster. While with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission he also skillfully utilized innovative financing mechanisms in the HUD Market-to-Market program, to preserve over 1,000 affordable housing units in the state.

“Flynn’s creativity, innovative spirit, and big heart have spurred positive changes for the people and organizations he has assisted over a long and distinguished career in affordable housing,” according to Herman.

Flynn has lived in the Burien area for more than 10 years, has served as a soccer coach with the Highline Fire youth soccer program as well as serving on the Burien Parks and Recreation Board.

Some other previous community activities Flynn has been involved with include the following:

Former Member and Board Chair for Digital Promise (a non-profit that helps establish and support computer learning centers in low-income apartment projects)

Former member of the Advisory Council for Catholic Community Services of Western Washington (King County)

Former Board Member of Washington Community Reinvestment Association

Former Board Member for the Affordable Housing Management Association of Washington